


Beat

by fencecollapsed



Series: Half-Infected Paul [1]
Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22143034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencecollapsed/pseuds/fencecollapsed
Summary: Paul's heart doesn't beat anymore. Well, it does, just very slowly. Paul can't feel it, but Emma can. At night when she can't sleep, she likes to listen for it.
Relationships: Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Series: Half-Infected Paul [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718695
Comments: 9
Kudos: 135





	Beat

Paul's heart doesn't beat anymore. Well, it does, just  _ very  _ slowly. Paul can't feel it, but Emma can. At night when she can't sleep, she likes to listen for it.

She wakes from an unnerving yet quickly forgotten dream to the shadowed black of their room. When she squints she can make out Paul's shape beside her, his face buried snug in his pillow, sleeping soundly. As her eyes adjust she can see the finer details of his face. Strands of dark hair hang just over his eyes, partly matted by sleep. His brows, creased slightly yet relaxed, the tired shadows and lines around his eyes barely visible. His lips are parted just slightly, a thin line of assuredly blue-tinted drool rolling down the corner of his mouth. Emma feels a fond smile tug at her lips -  _ man  _ is her partner cute. 

Carefully, Emma pulls herself closer to him on the mattress. She nudges his arm out of her way and snuggles up to his chest, enjoying the soft fabric of his sleep shirt against her cheek. Paul must feel her there unconsciously, because he wraps his arms around her. She shivers a bit at his cold touch but quickly relaxes into his hold. She feels his leg twitch against hers and his cheek sleepily nuzzle the top of her head. A soft hum vibrates from deep in his chest, and Emma almost swears she hears her name.

Once she's comfortable, Emma presses her ear to Paul's chest and listens.

The stillness is always unnerving at first. His chest is hollow, no activity suggesting life but the soft rise and fall of his breathing. He's empty.

_ Thump. _

There it is. A lone heartbeat pumps weakly from Paul's sternum, just barely a thrum against Emma's ear. The stillness returns quickly.

Emma counts.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…."

She reaches 102 before the soft pulse comes again. It's a long gap, but in fairness this is Paul's resting heartbeat. Surely it has to be a little faster when he's active.

Emma counts again, this time reaching 93. 

_ Thump. _

It's weirdly calming.

In the middle of Emma's third round of counting, Paul starts to stir.

"Mnh, Em?" He mumbles.

Emma curls closer into his arms casually. "Yeah?"

"I thought I heard you… counting. Are you okay?"

"'M fine, just had a weird dream and trying to get back to sleep."

"Is that how you do it? Counting?"

"Sometimes."

"What do you count?"

Emma pulls herself back to look up at Paul's sleepy face. His slumber certainly wasn't restless, and the longer he stayed talking to her the more she curses herself for pulling him from it.

"How many questions are you going to ask before you go back to sleep, baby?"

Paul sighs a little through his nose and nestles back into the bed, pressing a soft kiss to Emma's forehead.

"Mmk, I'll let you be."

Emma snuggles against him again, her ear returning to it's listening place on his chest. She resorts to counting in her head now, but Paul feels her react when the soft pulse sounds again. He connects the dots but chooses not to comment lest he bother her again, instead making an effort to lie perfectly still so she can listen a little easier.

It's a small thing, but something about it almost makes Paul feel warm. Emma wants to listen to his heartbeat - she isn't afraid of how slow and weak it is. It's  _ calming  _ to her. The knowledge is calming to him. It's little things Emma does that tend to help Paul feel a bit better about his… altered state.

Emma wants to hold his hand - she doesn't mind how cold he is.

Emma wants to look in his eyes - she isn't unnerved by the way they glow.

Emma wants to touch his chest - she isn't disturbed by his scars, that look like galaxies ripped through his body and shimmer starry blue in the dark.

Nothing about Paul is off-putting to her. 

He can hear her soft, sleepy hum as she slips further back into sleep, still counting his heartbeats. He hums in response, knowing Emma won't register it as communication but hoping his intended meaning reaches her anyway. When she nestles closer he believes it does.

_ Thump. _

"One, two, three, four, five, six…."

Emma murmurs, forgetting to keep it in her head. Paul follows her counting, her voice soothing him into contentment. Neither make it to the next soft beat, trailing off and into a quiet sleep for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


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